A MESSAGE FROM DR. GABRIEL BUELNA:
I’ve seen hundreds of LACCD students in my classes at CSUN over the years. I strongly identify with these young people. They need and deserve our best. That’s why I decided to run for College Board.
Many of these students remind me of myself at their age. I was a minority from an immigrant family. Money was tight; school was a challenge; and many pressures worked against the very idea of college.
Yet with the help of my family and teachers (plus some courses at West L.A. Community College!) I stayed in school, went on to university and to graduate school. Now I’m working to inspire a passion for learning in a new generation.
That’s the kind of success I want for all LACCD students. So I’m running to bring some badly-needed perspectives to the Board of Trustees:
- We need a Board that understands the challenges facing students today. In addition to teaching, I work every day with families and children who are struggling to make it. So I know the kinds of barriers that discourage too many students from starting (and finishing!) their educations. I want to focus on support services that help students overcome those barriers.
- We need academic standards that help students succeed at the next level. I’ve been teaching at CSU for many years. So I have a clear view of how well – or, sometimes, how poorly – LACCD students are prepared for university-level work. Every student enrolled in our District should be finishing with a degree, or a certificate, that prepares them for further schooling or a good job.
Our community colleges should be engines of economic opportunity and success. Just as they helped change my life at a critical time, and just as they helped my parents become citizens a generation earlier, I want them to help today’s students find good jobs and achieve their dreams.
That’s what my campaign is about. If you agree, I would be honored to have your support.
Dr. Gabriel Buelna, PhD